Will Alcohol Cancer Warning Curb Drinking? The Jury’s Still Out.
The new warning from the U.S. Surgeon General about alcohol being a major cause of cancer has raised questions about how people will respond to this shocking news. On January 5th, 2025, a sweeping statement declared alcohol as the third leading cause of cancer, just behind smoking and obesity. But will this information actually change the drinking habits of Americans?
Our team went out to Downtown Providence to talk to some locals and find out their thoughts on the new warning. Chris Messier, a Providence resident, didn’t seem too worried. “Nah, I don’t think so,” he said. “I think people are going to do what they want to do regardless. We all know the consequences of what we do.”
But not everyone agreed. Jack Vanasse had a different view. “I mean, don’t forget, 50 years ago there were advertisements that said smoking cigarettes was good for you,” he pointed out. “Generations prior to us didn’t have the information we have now, so absolutely we’re going to take heed to it.”
The warning comes from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who highlighted alcohol as a preventable cause behind more than 100,000 cancer diagnoses each year in the U.S. The Surgeon General’s report names seven types of cancer, including breast, liver, and mouth cancer, that are linked to alcohol consumption. The Surgeon General has now called for updated warnings to be placed on alcoholic beverages.
For some, this new information may have a real impact. “I think it’s reasonable to do that,” Messier added, acknowledging the warning. “But I don’t think it’s going to change anything.”
Meanwhile, local bars are taking a more inclusive approach. At Moonshine Alley in Providence, General Manager Jeff Shabo shared how the bar is adapting. “We can take any of our cocktails and make them nonalcoholic,” he said. “So, you’re still having that craft aspect of a cocktail, just without the alcohol, of course.”
The question remains: Will these warnings actually cause a shift in behavior? Only time will tell if the new Surgeon General’s warning about alcohol’s cancer risk will have a lasting impact on people’s drinking habits.
#AlcoholAwareness #CancerPrevention #DryJanuary #SurgeonGeneral #HealthFirst